Centralizer for sewing machines



March 11, 1930. c, MlLLER 1,749,956

CENTRALIZER FOR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed Jill 26. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

March 11, 1930. 9 MILL R 1,749,956

CENTRALIZER FOR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed July 26. 1922 2, Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. //7we/63 M44 .59

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 11, 1930 PATENT OFFICE HENRY C, MILLER, OF WATERFORD, NEW YORK CENTRALIZER FOR SEWING MACHINES Original application'filed July 26, 1922, Serial No. 577,714. Divided and this application filed September 15, 1927. Serial No. 219,789.

This invention relates to an improvement in sewing machines, and particularly in that type known in the art as a centralizer, designed to accurately centralize and position a collar or the like for the formation of the central buttonhole therein.

The present improvement is directed more particularly to a construction for use in connection with a Reece or similar type buttonhole machine, and the present application is a division of an application filed by me July 26. 1922, Serial No. 577, 714:.

V The present invention has for its principal object the provision of means for conveniently and quickly, centralizing and gauging a collar, with the utilization of the centralizing means as a charger for the presentation of the centralized and gauged .collar to and beneath the clamp of the buttonhole machine, whereby the mechanism for initially centering and gauging the collar isalso the mechanism for charging such collar without change in its centralizing function to the buttonhole machine.

Afurther object of the present invention is the arrangement of the centralizing mechanism so that it is adapted for a swinging movement toward and from the clamp of the buttonhole machine in order to permit the charging of the centralized collar, the arrangement of the centralizing mechanism relative to the clamp of the buttonhole machine being such that following the charging of the collar and the starting of the button 35 hole machine, the centralizing mechanism will return to normal position to permit the centralizing of a succeeding collar while the previouscollar is being stitched, thereby materially facilitating the work of applying the central buttonholes to the collars.

A further object of the present invention nis the provision of means for automatically releasing the collar from the centralizing 'mechanism immediately succeeding and as a direct result of the initial operation of the sewing mechanism, so that as the sewing mechanism is placed in operation, the centralizing mechanism is automatically released so with respect to the collar and is returned to normal position for the centralizing and gauging of a succeeding collar.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the im proved centralizer as applied to a Reece or similar type buttonhole machine.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view of the means for interconnecting and inducing similar operation in the lower ends of the centralizing arms.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the centralizing and control mechanism showing the parts in normal centralizing position in dotted lines and in the position assumed when charging the centralized collar to the buttonhole sewing machine in full lines.

In the Reece or similar type buttonhole machine to which the present invention is particularly applicable, it will be understood that the buttonhole is formed crosswise the head and hence the collar in which this buttonhole is being formed is also arranged crosswise the head. Advantage is taken of this fact in connection with the present improvement in that the centralizer is designed to include two oppositely acting arms positioned on each side of the head and mounted,'for their centralizing movement, for swinging toward and from each other, with the further capability that the arms as a unit may be swung toward and from the bed of the sewing machine to thereby carry the collar longitudinally of the bed for cooperation with the clamp of the sewing mechanism.

The bed of the sewing machine, herein conventionally indicated at 1, is supported upon an underlying framework 2 on which the centralizing mechanism is movably mounted. This mechanism includes a casting 8 having end trunnions 4 supported upon a shaft 5 mounted in bearings 6 carried by the framework 2. The casting includes a plate 7 provided at opposite ends with bearings 8 in which are mounted shafts 9 carrying on one end mutilated pinions 10 and on the opposite end centralizing arms 11 which will be later more specifically referred to.

Intermediate the bearings 8 the plate 7 is provided with bearings 12 supporting mutilated gears 13 in mesh with each other and with the pinions. Obviously, the arms 11 connected through the described train of gearing must move in opposite directions relatively and must move equally with re spectto a central point.

A spring 14 is connected to a fixed part of the casting and to one of the mutilated pinions 10, serving to normally hold the arms 11 at their maximum spread, that is, with" their upper free ends spaced the maximum distance apart. This maximum spreading of the arms is limited by a flexible connection 15 arranged between the arms and including a spring 16.

The centralizing arms 11 are fixed upon the shafts 9 so as to move in unison 'therewith in the described movement of the mutilated pinions 10 and each comprises an approoffset at 17 with a tubular upper end 18. A

centralizing rod 19 is carried by and movable relative to the'arm 11, the rod projecting through the tubular portion 18 and being spring-pressed in the upward direction through the medium of a spring 20 encircling the rod in the offset portion 17 of the arm and bearing between the lower end of the offset and a collar 21 on the rod. The lower end of the rod is connected to a bell crank lever 22 pivotally mounted on a lateral projection of the arm, the free end, of which bell crank lever depends in the path of a push-rod23 slidably mounted in the shaft 9 and project'-' ing in advance of the forward end of the shaft. 7

The rods 19, hereinafter termed the centralizing rods, normally project above the upper ends of the tubular portions 18 of the arms 11 to provide points over which the end buttonholes of the collar or like article being centralized are placed for the centralizing operation. Obviously, under endwise pres sure on the push-rods 23, thecentralizing rods 19 are forced downwardly, withdrawing the projecting portions of said rods from above the arms and thereby disengaging the collar ends previously connected thereto.

The push-rods 23 are operated through the medium of arms 2 1 carried on the terminals of the shaft 25 mounted in bearings in the casting 3 and having an upstanding trip arm 26 to be operated as later described. Obviously, in the movement of the shaft in one direction, the arms 24 exert endwise'pressure on the push-rods 23 and thereby move the centralizing rods downwardly to release the collar.

A lug 2'? depends from the casting 3 and is formed with a slotted opening 28 to receive a rod 29 connected by a swivel connection 30 to the frame of the sewing'machine, indicated at 31. The forward end of the rod,

which passes through the opening 28, is provided with a nut 32'so that the swinging movement of the casting is limited'in a direction tending to move the upper ends of the centralizing arms 11 toward the sewing machine. I

A rod 33 extends upwardly from thecasting 3 and is adapted, when the casting is 1 swung from the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4 to the position shown in full lines, to engage and operate a lever 34 pivotally supported on the sewing machine base at 35and having a lateral terminalrto chine, indicated at 39, the opposite end of the lever 37 being movable in the path including the trip lever26, so that on swinging the lever 37 in one direction, the arms 25L are actuated to withdraw the projecting ends of the centralizing rods as hereinbefore described. The specific connection is such that as the sewing machine starts to operate, the,

flexible connection 38 is drawn upon, the lever 37 rocked, the trip lever26 moved forwardly to operate the shaft 25, operating the arms 24 and through the push-rods 23 withdrawing the projecting endsof the centralizing rods to release the collar.

. The casting 3 is'provided with ahandle 40 whereby it may be manually swung at will,

the swinging movement serving to move the centralizing mechanism from the centralizing position, as indicated in dot-ted lines in Fig ure 4, to the charging position, as indicated in full lines in said figure, and then back to the centralizing position, the movement being obviously performed at the will of the Operator. j I

I will now describe-the operation of the improvement. Assume the parts are in the position shown'in Figure 1, that is, the centering arms 11 are spread apart by the spring l tand the'mutilated pinions and gears 10 and 13, said armsbeing limited inthis posi tion by the flexible connection 1516. The

operator now takes a collar which has previo'usly, been buttonholed at its ends by an other buttonhole forming machine, and draws in the centering arms slightly toward each other and slips the end buttonholes over the ends of the centralizing rods 19, and-then releases the arms, which because of the action of the spring 14 and the gears, are equally drawn apart and stretch the collar and accurately centralize it over the table 1. Obviously, any length of collar can be centered,

as it is evident that the centralizing arms will in every instance move toward and from" each other at the same speed and the same distance, and when a collar is engaged'by ward the buttonhole machine. In doing this the lever 33 strikes the swivelled lever 34, and the latter contacts with the trigger 36 and starts the buttonhole machine. The inward movement of the centralizer is limited by the lug 27, contacting with the nut 32 on the rod 29, at which time the collar is properly located to receive the center buttonhole. Starting of the buttonhole machine automatically operates the cloth clamp to engage the collar as is customary in machines of this type, and then the buttonhole forming mechanism, including the arm 39, is automatically put into operation, which pulls on the flexible member 38 and rocks the lever 37 and its opposite end engages the trip arm 26. Movement of the trip arm rocks the shaft 25, and the arms 24 act on the rods 28 to withdraw the centralizing rods 19 and thereby the collar is released.

In the type of sewing machine illustrated, the trigger 36 is operated which throws on the power to first close the cloth clamp and operate the cutting blade of the buttonhole machine and relatively shift the stitch forming mechanism and cloth clamp from buttonhole cutting position to stitching posi tion, and then the power is automatically thrown to the stitching mechanism. During the relative shift of the parts from buttonhole cutting to stitching position referred to, the arm 39 is moved rearvvardly. After the stitching is completed, the parts are thrown to normal position and the cloth clamp is automatically elevated to release the collar. Therefore, when my improved centralizer is applied to this type of machine, all the operator has to do is to move the centralizer with the collar thereon toward the buttonhole machine, and by means such as described the trigger 36 is operated, thus simplifying the motions of the operator when making buttonholes.

What I claim to be new is:

1. A centralizer comprising a pair of article engaging arms mounted, for relative swinging movement, means for inducing a simultaneous, uniform and relative movement of the arms in a direction away from each other to center an article carried by the arms, and means for mounting the arms for bodily unitary movement to serve to move the article so centered to a point of deposit.

2. A centralizer comprising a pair of article engaging arms movable relative to and in a direction from each other to center the engaged article and movable as a unit to transfer the engaged article to a new position.

3. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a centralizer comprising arms movable relative to and in a direction from each other to center an article engaged by the arms, and means for supporting the centralizer for bodily movement to move the centered article to the buttonhole machine.

4. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a centralizer comprising swinging arms free at their ends to engage an article to be centered, means connecting the arms to cause them to swing relatively in unison from each other to center the article, and means for mounting the arms to permit them to swing bodily as a unit to transfer the centered article to the buttonhhole machine.

5. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a centralizer comprising arms mounted for simultaneous relative movement from each other to center an article, and means for bodily moving the arms as a unit in a direction at an angle to their centering movement to transfer the centered article to the buttonhole machine.

6. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a centralizer comprising a pair of article swinging arms free attheir ends to engage an article to be centered, means connecting the arms to cause themto swing relatively in unison from each other to center the article, and a mounting for the arms to permit them to be moved bodily as a unit toward and from the buttonhole machine.

7. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a centralizer including a pair of arms adapted to engage an article to be centered and mounted for relative uniform movement from each other in one plane to center the engaged article, and means for mounting the arms to permit them to be moved bodily in another plane to carry the centered article to the buttonhole machine.

8. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a centralizer including vertically swinging arms, means for mounting the arms for bodily movement as a unittoward and from the head of the machine, and means for connecting the arms for relative simultaneous movement from each other in a plane at right angles to the head to center an article.

9. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a pair of arms mounted for relative similar movement, centralizing pins movable in the arms and normally projecting therebeyond to receive an article to be centered, means for mounting the arms for movement as a unit toward and from the buttonhole machine to charge the article to be centered, and means for limiting the charging movement of the arms.

10. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a centralizer comprising armsmountedfor relative uniform movement, centralizing pins movable in the arms and adapted to engage an article to be centered, starting mechanism for the buttonhole machine, means to permit the movement of the arms as a unit toward the buttonhole machine to charge the article tobe centered, and means carried by the centralizer to operate the starting mech anism at the limit of unitary movement of the arms toward the buttonhole machine.

11. In combination, a buttonhole machine, a centralizer comprising arms mounted for relative uniform movement, centralizing pins movable in the arms and adapted to engage an article to be centered, starting mechanism v for the buttonhole machine, means to permit the movement of the arms as a unit toward the buttonhole machine to charge the article to be centered, means carried by the centralizer to operate the starting mechanism at the limit of unitary movement of the arms toward thebuttonhole machine, and means operated by the buttonhole machine mechanism to actuate the centralizing'pins to release the article from the arms. I

V 12. In combination, a buttonhole machine, starting mechanism therefor, a combined article centering and charging mechanism in eluding arms mounted for simultaneous relative movement to center an article carried by the arms, said arms being mounted for bodily unitary movement to charge the article so centered to the buttonhole machine, and means carried by the centralizer to operate the buttonhole starting .mechanism at the limit of charging movement of the centralizer.

13. In combination, a buttonhole machine including a bed, and starting mechanism therefor, a frame mounted transversely of the bed for swinging movement, centralizing arms mounted in the frame for independent swinging movement in a direction at right angles to the swinging movement of the frame, means to compel a relative uniform swinging movement of the arms to center an article carried by the arms, and means to bodily swing the frame to utilize the arms as an article charging means for the machine, the bodily movement of the frame to move the arms toward the machine serving to operate thestarting mechanism.

14. In combination, a buttonhole machine including a bed, a centralizer including arms mounted for relative uniform move ment transversethe bed to center an article carried by the arms, said arms being mounted for a unitary movement longitudinally of the bed to move the centered articlewtoward the buttonhole machine for charging purposes. 7 V I 15. In combination, a buttonhole machine mcludmg a bed, a 'centralizer mcluding arms 'mounted for relative .uniform movement transverse the bed to center an article car- 'ried by the arms, said arms being mounted for a unitary movement longitudinally of s the bed to move the centered article toward 

